Regrets
by LadyMajestic
Summary: After witnessing the death of his two closest friends, Levi has many regrets. He decides to trust Erwin Smith, a man who always seems to be one step ahead of him, & join the Survey Corps, intent on taking down the ravenous Titans. With so many lies and secrets, who's there left to trust in this cruel world? But returning to the dark is not an option. *based on the spin-offs* OC's
1. 1 Regret

Regret.

That's all Levi Ackerman could feel as he stood, breathing heavily so that he might regain his breath, staring down at the remains of what were once his friends. Behind him, the deceased Titan lay, blood forming a pool at the former's feet, from the violent slashes he'd delivered to the Titan.

He had failed, so miserably, and it was too late to do anything. If he hadn't gone on ahead to carry out a plan so far-fetched, they would still be here. But he was selfish, and ignorant. Now, he stood, unable to keep tears from falling down his face, something that had never happened to him before. He wished he were dead.

 _Earlier that day…_

"Today we take another step forwards, to winning this fight!"

Levi was hardly listening, his gaze focused solely on the opening gates. In a few minutes, he would be beyond them, in the bright light of the outside world. What horrors lay in wait? He could only wonder, as he preferred not to know until the time arose. The dark horse he sat upon sensed his uneasiness and nickered.

"Let us show these Titans the strength of humanity!"

Levi finally averted his gaze to focus on the speaker, the leader of the 23rd Expedition, a tall man with dark hair and shadowed eyes. It was time.

The gates opened. "Forward, everyone!" The horses took off through the tunnel, and once they passed through, spread out into battle formation.

Trees stood tall, and rolling fields of green surrounded them. The air was cool, and slightly humid, indicating a possible rainstorm.

"Wow!" Isabel marveled from a few feet away. She was perched atop a sturdy gray horse, and she stared into the pale blue sky, her eyes shining. "It's beautiful out here!"

"Yeah," Levi found himself saying. "Not bad at all…"

Beside him, Farlan grinned, nodding in agreement, his blonde hair ruffled by the breeze. They rode onwards, on the lookout for any Titans that might cross their path when suddenly…

"Titan sighted!"

Levi's eyes widened as it came running at them. Titans were no joke to be told. They were huge, at least eight meters tall, with human faces. Before he had any time to contemplate anything, the others advanced. Isabel and Farlan watched in fascination as they used the 3d-maneuver gear and took off, leaping from their horses. Levi winced as one overly confident man plowed straight forwards, only to be snatched out of the air by the Titan. There was no mistaking the horrifying 'crunch' as the man met his end. No time to stop and mourn, because two 10-meter Titans were rapidly approaching.

Levi quickly pulled the reins on his horse and swerved to the left, before turning it around. He took off towards one of the approaching Titans. Now was his chance to kill one of these horrifying monsters.

"Is he trying to get himself killed?!" He heard someone shout, but Levi ignored him. He shot the wire from his gear into a tree just past the Titan and leapt forwards, gliding around the Titan before soaring high and delivering the killing blow to the back of its neck. He watched with satisfaction as the Titan crumpled to the ground.

Meanwhile, Isabel and Farlan were taking on the other Titan. Levi pitched forwards as Isabel was grabbed by the Titan, but she slashed its hand.

"Nice try, loser!" She laughed as she leapt from its grasp. Farlan swung around the Titan's head to deliver the killing blow. As the Titan fell, Levi could only stare in shock. He had never known his friends to have such unwavering determination. He was the one at fault here, for not believing in their abilities. Rain drops began to soak the ground, and Levi swore not to underestimate them again.

…

But then he made a choice he never wanted to make. He had abandoned his friends, when they needed him. He had blindly passed a Titan, and when he had returned, it was too late. His horse stumbled in the mud as rain poured down, throwing Levi from its back. As he struggled to his feet, his eyes widened in sheer horror.

Two lifeless eyes stared back at him, her brow furrowed, and her mouth curled in a snarl. Isabel. _Thump._ Levi could only watch as Farlan hit the ground a few feet away, his eyes staring lifelessly up at the sky, now a vast space of murky gray.

Levi felt his blood boil as his unimaginable hatred for the Titans grew. "Damn these Titans." He threw his head back, ignoring the raindrops that pelted his face. "IS THIS WHAT OUR ONLY PURPOSE IN LIFE IS? LIVE, ONLY TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF THESE RAVENOUS BEASTS!?" He lowered his head, glaring at the Titan at fault. It's beady black eyes stared back at him, unaware of the bloodlust.

With a scream, Levi leapt at the Titan, and spared him no mercy. Slash after slash, Levi yelled as he rained his blades down on the Titan. _YOU MORONS, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MAKE US LIVE THROUGH. WHY?! WHY US!_ When at last the Titan fell to the ground with a crash, Levi stood, feeling anything but victorious, staring at the remains of what were once Isabel and Farlan. Deep down, he knew, he was too blame for this. All of it.

…

 **When I watched the spin-off, No Regrets, I knew I wanted to write this. I'm writing based off of the anime adaptation and for my own entertainment to get my ideas out there. I'm not into happy, bubbly AoT fics, hence the genre of this story. Levi is one of my favorite characters, because of his complex background and he's so badass. Thanks for reading!**

 **Ps: I'm aware of the Furlan/Farlan situation, I prefer Farlan.**


	2. 2 Thoughts

Levi couldn't remember the last time he slept for seven hours straight. He felt out of place as he rose from the chair he'd been sleeping in.

"You will sleep in this room, for now." Erwin had told him the night before. "I will send someone to get you when you are needed in the morning." He gestured to the wooden bed where Levi was supposed to sleep. Levi had narrowed his eyes. He didn't sleep in beds. They were uncomfortable, and the sheets were never washed.Being that, he slept in chairs. Luckily, the room had one. It had seen better days, but it would have to do.

Levi went over to open the window, but the minute he touched the frame, he drew back.

"Disgusting," he said aloud. There was dust all over the windowsill, and a small spider scuttled across. He abruptly turned away, and picked up his jacket, which he'd lain carefully on the bed the night before. The Scout Regiment symbol flashed at him, a reminder of recent events. He ignored it and slipped it on.

 _Knock knock._

"Come in." he called. The door creaked open.

 _Great_. Of all people for despicable Erwin to send, he sent Hanji.

"Goooodmorning, Mr. Levi!" Hanji approached him and stuck out her hand. When Levi didn't comply, she seemed unfazed. "Bout time I take ya to see the Commander, yeah?"

…

Levi stood before Commander Erwin Smith, in a cramped office. Hanji had stepped out moments before, leaving Levi in the presence of whom he despised.

"Did you sleep alright?" Erwin asked. Levi raised an eyebrow.

"I'll take that as a yes." Erwin chuckled. "Listen, I'd like to talk about your friends, Farlan and Isabel was it? I –"

"No." Levi interrupted coldly.

"That's not how you speak to your Commander." Erwin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Didn't anyone teach you respect during training?"

"If they did, I wouldn't show you any." he snapped.

"It's a wonder I can deal with your arrogance." Erwin said, sighing. "I can, at any time, send you back to where you came from." Levi stiffened. Erwin smirked. "Tell me, Levi…were you really going to kill me?"

"Yes." Levi said without hesitation. "And nothing would've convinced me to stop."

"But then you agreed to trust me, and join the Survey Corps."

"T-trust has nothing to do with it." Levi stammered. "I joined to kill Titans."

"I see." Erwin cleared his throat. "Now then, before I can put you on any other missions, you will need to train more. I've assigned Hanji to overlook it."

 _Oh hell!_ Levi could barely keep from hissing. Instead he said, "Why her?"

"There'll be a point when you two will work together. Whether you see it or not, both of you are quite compatible."

 _As if._ Levi narrowed his eyes. Commander Erwin's reason seemed rather ambiguous. What was he up to?

"Is that all?" Levi said.

"Yes. You are free to join the others. There should be food or something in the Main Hall. Don't wander around."

 _Like I'd want to wander anywhere where your manipulating self has set foot_.

Levi quickly saluted and stalked out of the office, letting the door slam shut behind him. He stood in the dimly lit hall.

 _Why am I doing this?_ He thought. _I have no reason to trust the Commander. But something compels me to stay here, and it isn't just the prospect of killing Titans._

...

"Too slow!" Hanji reprimanded.

Levi growled in frustration as he dropped to the ground.

"I would be going faster if you gave me better gear," He snapped. "This is rusting."

"What!?" Hanji was shocked. "I'll go fetch you a new pair, yup! You wait right here." She grabbed his gear from him, and in a flash, was gone.

"Crazy." Levi muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. He stared up at the mock Titan he'd been attacking. Pointless. Practicing against inanimate objects wasn't training. Waste of time. Levi turned heel and began to walk through the city. Many people roamed the streets at this time, and little kids darted in between buildings. Levi wondered how they could be so carefree with the existence of the bloodthirsty Titans.

"Leviiii!"

 _That was brief._ Levi sighed turned to go. _It's going to be a long-ass day with her breathing down my neck._

…

 **Ay. Not much happened, these first two chapters were setting everything up. I know that some name-spelling and facts aren't 100% accurate, but I can't copy to scale. Next few chapters will be based off of 'Ilse's Journal' and 'No Regrets'. Thx for almost 30 reads lolz. Aight, I'm out. Lemme know whatcha think if ya want.**


	3. 3 Nostalgia

"Six-meter Titan up ahead!" Commander Erwin shouted. "Send up the red flare!"

A burst of red smoke spiraled into the sky and exploded with a _bang_. The Titan, tall with shaggy brown hair and large eyes, stumbled towards the grouped scouts, who drew their horses back rapidly.

"Prepare for combat!" Commander Erwin called back to them. He rode on ahead, his assisting scouts at his heels. Levi directed his horse to the right where a cluster of tall pine trees was. Others were taking the left, where it was more open. This gave Levi the advantage to kill the Titan while it was facing the others.

Erwin had brought a group of 20 or so to carry out a new expedition farther north from their base. So far today, they had managed to take out two Titans, and if all went well, this would make the third.

A piercing scream rang through the air as the titan seized Aloisia, one of the women on the expedition, from her horse. Levi averted his gaze as the woman's cries ceased abruptly.

"Levi, get your ass over here!" One of the scouts shouted at him. Levi fixated the man with a glare. _What an annoyance. Wouldn't mind if_ he _were eaten by the Titans._

Levi steered his horse towards the cluster that the man was in.

"Brahms, did Dieter get killed off?" He asked. "He isn't in the group."  
"Nah, he's not one to die so easily. Erwin transferred him over to his group."

"Why?"

"'Cause Erwin's numbers went down."

"What about Kiefer?"

"Why do you care?" Brahms said. "You're wasting my time."

"I don't care, I'm asking a question." Levi snapped.

"Kiefer got transferred to what's-his-name's group."

"What's-his-name?"

"Look, kid, I don't know everyone's name. Ask Hanji or something, that kid's bound to know."

 _What a lousy good-for-nothing._ Levi thought, giving his horse's reins a slight tug, allowing Brahms to pass him.

The expedition ended by sunset, the Titan annihilated, with only 2 deaths and a few minor injuries. Once they returned to the base, Levi instantly took off down the hall.

"Where're you going?"

Levi turned. Marx, one of the newer recruits, was sitting against the wall cleaning his gear. Marx was an obnoxious and insistent guy, whom Levi chose not to associate himself with. But Marx couldn't take hints and was always trying to talk to him.

"I'm going to the showers, and then to bed."

"You don't sleep. Erwin said so."

"Erwin's a creep."

"Don't disrespect Erwin." Marx said. "He said it because you said it."

"Whatever." Levi turned to go.

"Want to get a drink later?" Marx asked.

"I don't drink."

"Every man drinks."

"I don't."

"Then you're not a man."

"Night." Levi walked off, before Marx could make another moronic comment. _If there's a God, please, let Marx be the first to get eaten on our next Titan-killing spree._ He thought.

As he made his way to the roof, Levi undid his jacket, throwing the rough fabric off and letting it fall on the stairs. He'd pick it up later. He opened the small wooden door that led to the roof and let the chilly breeze in. Memories of Farlan and Isabel filled his head as he walked onto the roof.

 _"Levi." Levi turned at the sound of Isabel's voice calling to him as she and Farlan closed the roof door behind them and approached him._

 _"We need to talk about this." Farlan demanded. "We don't agree with you going alone. It's too dangerous!"_

 _"You said that when we first step outside, it'll be all three of us together." Isabel said. "Have you forgotten that promise?"_

 _"It's the same." Levi muttered. "Not seeing the moon or stars…the sky here is the same as the sky there."_

 _"The color of the sky is," Farlan said. "But –"_

 _"It's different!" Isabel finished. Levi's eyes widened in shock. "We know that there's no ceiling, no room, nothing holding us back!"_

 _"That's right." Farlan agreed. "The sky is endless. It's different from underground."_

 _"Look!" Isabel pointed that sky and everyone looked as the clouds parted, revealing the moon, which was a bright, glowing orb. "We'd never been able to see that. That's a difference, right?"_

 _"Y-yeah." Levi admitted. The three of them looked back up at the sky in as moonlight washed over them._

 _"Let's do this together, Levi. Believe in us." Farlan said. Levi looked down and then up again._

 _"Alright." He said after a minute, the corner of his mouth forming a small smile. "I'll believe in you."_

 **Long time no see! I've been exploring other areas of interest, but since AoT s2 started, I thought I'd pick this up again. I apologize for any mistakes.** **I don't do extensive research when writing a fanfic, so there may be some fluff ups. Let me know what you think!**

 **jcselby: thanks! I appreciate the review :)**

 **-LadyMajestic out**


	4. 4 Discovery

_7 months later…_

"Levi!" Hanji cried, flinging her arms around his neck. Levi stumbled back.

"What the hell are you doing?" He growled, pushing her away from him. Hanji pouted.

"I thought you'd be a bit more excited for this mission." She said.

"It's just a mission." Levi replied. Seven months had passed since Levi had joined the Survey Corps. and Erwin had used every opportunity he could find to stuff Hanji and Levi together and send them on a mission or an expedition. However, Levi had to admit that, as annoying as Hanji could be, they worked well together. Neither needed to say anything for the other to know. Their training practice focused on synchronization, and it had improved vastly. Still, that didn't mean Hanji was tolerable to be around.

"We should be leaving now." Levi said, pulling himself up on his horse. Erwin, who stood a couple yards away with another soldier, nodded.

"I wish you both luck on this mission." He said once Hanji had mounted her horse.

"We'll do our best." Levi replied. He drew his feet back, giving the horse a light kick and they took off.

The mission Levi and Hanji had been assigned was to plan a direct route out of the Shiganshina District to set up a temporary base farther out in Titan controlled lands. The base would be hidden, and once set up, soldiers could run back and forth to make reports directly to Erwin, who was temporarily residing in Shinganshina. This would be the stepping stone to the 41st expedition. When planning, Erwin had requested that the base be no more than nine km from Shiganshina, so that if necessary, reinforcements could be sent.

Roughly twenty-two minutes later, Levi and Hanji reached the distance limit and began to look around the area. Except for a few withered looking trees, it was pretty barren. The grass was tall and the ground was composed of rock and dirt. Hanji leapt off the horse and began to look around. Levi followed more reluctantly, resting his hand on his gear. Despite his dislike for Hanji, his insistent monophobia prevented him from going too far from her whenever he was outside of the Walls. It hadn't always been like that of course. But it was his guilt ate away at his solitude, and he still felt at fault he had left Isabel and Farlan on their own, which resulted in their dea –

"Look!" Hanji exclaimed suddenly, cutting off his thoughts. Levi got down from his horse and walked over to where Hanji was standing and staring down at the ground. Instantly, the small portion of breakfast he'd eaten earlier threatened to come back up. A headless corpse lay, face down, its arms spread out and its left leg bent in an abnormal way. It was wearing a Survey Corps. soldier's uniform. Flies buzzed around it, and the corpse was covered in dirt. Levi looked away, unable to hide his disgust. Meanwhile Hanji knelt down to inspect the corpse. Levi looked about and noticed a small rectangular object lying about a yard away. He bent down to pick it up, using his sleeve to brush off the dirt. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was a notebook. The cover was torn and beaten from the weather, and pages were stuck together, but after he bent the notebook a bit, they came undone.

"Ilse Langnar." Hanji spoke suddenly. Levi turned to see her pull a fabric strip off of one of the arms. "This is the armband that marks the 34th expedition, conducted a little over a year ago. I remember Ilse…her entire squad was annihilated by a single Titan. Looks like it got her too." Hanji looked about as if she expected a Titan to come running at them. "Let's get out of here now, make our report to Erwin… It's too dangerous here."

Levi looked back down at the notebook he held.

"What do you have there?" Hanji asked, pointing to the notebook.

Levi read over the messy handwriting. "I think," He said slowly. "That this is what Ilse died for."

 **S2Ep3 comes out soon! I'm pretty hyped, but feel pretty bad for Connie…**

 **BFHwantsblood: Thanks! I'm glad you think so! I appreciate the review.**

 **-LadyMajestic out**


	5. 5 Cowardice

**I took a bit of a break from writing from a while. May was seriously stressful, because I was finishing school for the year & there were a ton of events I'd involved myself in. I also lost a lot of interest in anime & I haven't watched any for the past few months because I got really into k-dramas. Ok, no one wants to know about my life, so on with chapter 5!**

 **-LadyMajestic out**

"What do you make of it?" Levi asked. He was hovering over Hanji's desk as Hanji studied the tattered notebook.

"We need to let Erwin know about this." Hanji replied, pulling open one of the desk drawers and selecting a single sheet of paper. She then took a pen and began to write.

"What are you writing?"

"A letter to Erwin."

"Can't you just tell him in person? You report to him."

"No," Hanji sighed. "I keep forgetting you're still a newbie, the way you carry yourself around. It's much more complicated."

"Then explain."

"You're quite demanding, aren't you?" Hanji narrowed her eyes. "I'm writing up a proposal document. We need to resume Titan capturing operations."

"Why?" Levi was disgusted. "We're here to kill them, not make them into study subjects."

"Don't you ever think?" Hanji dropped the pen, ignoring the ink that splattered all over the paper. She looked up at Levi with a fixed glare. "Ever wondered where these Titans come from, or maybe what their purpose is? Ever wanted to figure that out? That's _my_ job. I can't do _my_ job when they're all dead, can I?"

Levi didn't reply. Hanji sighed again and resumed writing. "Honestly, it's not that bad. We capture a Titan and we hold it here. I mean, not _here_ , but in a base a further out."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to pull together your squad." Hanji replied. "Once I hand this document to Erwin and get his approval, we should start right away. You're skilled, so is your team. We'll need you to help me."

"You already know my motives." Levi responded. "I stayed because I want to kill Titans. I'm sure you don't need me to explain why."

"Actually, I do." Hanji said. "If this is about your friends' deaths, I don't sympathize."  
Levi narrowed his eyes. "And why is that?"

"Listen pal," Hanji stood up and looked down at him. "We've all had our fair share of deaths. I've had mine, you've had yours. Erwin's had his. Hell, everyone here has had their share. Why else would they be here? They all want these Titans to be stopped, and will do anything to have that accomplished. You can stop being difficult. It's tiring, and I'm trying to give you every opportunity to pull yourself together. You _can_ hold back. I know you won't kill Titans without Erwin's order. You may hate the guy, but I know you rely on him."

"What the hell would you know?" Levi snapped. "I don't rely on anyone, especially Erwin."

"Lies." Hanji hissed. "You've used your friends' deaths as an excuse to act all high and mighty. You want to know something? Without us, _you're nothing._ "

Levi seized the collar on Hanji's shirt and tightened his fist. "Don't bring Isabel or Farlan into this, you understand? Someone as ignorant and stupid as you would never understand where we came from."

"No," Hanji said. "You're the ignorant and stupid one. You cling to the past as an excuse to not face the present. You're more than ignorant, you're a coward."

Levi felt his blood boil. But suddenly, he released Hanji's collar and backed away. Hanji was right. He was a coward. He couldn't rise up to any challenge unless it involved killing Titans. But even that, he couldn't remember how many he'd killed, or what it had been like. All he saw was red.

"I'm going to bed." He said before turning abruptly and leaving the room. He let the door slam shut and instantly went to the wall across from it and punched it.

 _You're a coward._ Those words rang in his ears until he was overcome with rage. He slid down until he was crouched, his head pressed against the wall, his hand bleeding from the impact of the punch.

"Why did this have to happen?" He wondered aloud.


	6. 6 Deal

Levi rose from the chair he'd been sleeping in. He felt tired and irritable. After a four-hour sleep, the last thing he felt like doing was capturing Titans. Why would Erwin approve of that godless idea anyway?

"Everyone in this godless place is crazy." He muttered as he stretched.

* * *

"You're one lucky tyke." Marx said enviously as Levi and the others ate their breakfast in the Great hall. Levi paused his chewing to look up at Marx in annoyance. He hated people who referred to his height, and Marx was no exception.

"You were supposed to be eaten by a Titan long ago." He replied. "What happened?"

"I don't know, man, but I'm hella good with the gear." He said. "Aren't I?" He put his arm around Friede, a woman around Levi's age with long auburn hair. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a disgusted look before shrugging his arm off.

"Ask your disgusting questions to one of your women." She snapped. Marx laughed.

"My women?" He asked, feigning confusion. The two of them became engrossed in an argument and Levi decided to go back to eating his breakfast.

"Levi!" Dieter slid over into the spot next to him. "Congrats!"

Levi stopped eating his breakfast again and looked at Dieter. "What did I do."

"You don't know?" Dieter's brow furrowed. "Hasn't Erwin said anything?"

"No." _I haven't spoken to Erwin since Hanji and I returned from the outer walls._

"Well…" Dieter looked skeptical. "It'd be better if Erwin told you himself."

"No, tell me." Levi demanded. But Dieter had already gotten up and sauntered off.

 _Great. Now I'm forced to go see despicable Erwin and see what the fuss Dieter was making is about._

* * *

"Curiosity got the best of you, I see." Erwin said with an amused tone. Levi closed the door behind him and approached Erwin's desk.

"Tell me why I'm being congratulated." He said.

"Direct as always." Erwin sighed. "Well, I was thinking things over and I want to move you into a captain's status."

"Why?" Levi challenged. "You know me. Do you honestly think I could make it as a captain?"

"Yes." Erwin replied immediately. "You're stubborn, incredibly rude, and ignorant, but you're incredibly reliable, fast thinking, and I think having a team to look after will do you some good."

"Hanji talked to you."

"Yes, Hanji told me everything. I have agreed to let the capturing commence, if that will do this world a favor."

"But it won't." Levi said. "Imagine the Titan escaping. Causing hell for all of us."

"Hanji is skilled." Erwin replied. "Hanji's skills are strong in the researching field. If you can just put your trust in someone, put your trust in Hanji."

"Listen up." Levi leaned over the desk until his face was inches from Erwin's. "I discarded the concept of trust long ago. Look where my previous trust got me. There is only one person left in this hell of a world that I can trust."

"And who might that be?" Erwin replied.

"You." Levi said. "I have put all of my faith in you and what you're doing for the citizens." He paused and narrowed his eyes. "You don't look surprised."

"I'm not." Erwin agreed. "I already knew. I was just curious to see what you would say."

"You better not take my trust and destroy it, like everyone else has." Levi said. "Prevent that, and you have my word; I will make my team victorious."


	7. 7 Loss

**Hey guys. I'm back to my normal posting schedule, which I'm happy about. I'm trying to prewrite a couple chapters since I'm traveling next week. I might be able to post them, but if I can't, I'll post as soon as I get back since I'm only gone for four days. Enjoy this chapter, & leave a review if you do!**

 **This chapter is inspired by Chapter 1 of AoT,** _ **To You, 2000 Years From Now**_

4 months later…

"Prepare for combat!" Levi shouted, digging his heels into the side of his horse. On either side of him, his squad members Petra and Oluo readied their gear as they rode beside him.

The day had gotten off to a rocky start. Titans had been spotted lingering around Wall Maria, so Erwin had sent Levi's Special Operation squad, along with Keith Shadis' squad out to take care of them. However, one of Keith's men, had been injured on the last Titan killing spree so Marx had taken his place. Another one of Keith's men had been killed as well, leaving the numbers down to just seven. Two other squads had been dispatched east of them, leaving them with no backup, unless they headed west, where there were three squads. Levi gritted his teeth as the four-meter Titan approached, sauntered towards them, its grotesque face forming a malicious grin, and its thin arms outstretched as if it were welcoming them.

 _Like hell we'll be welcomed to our deaths now._ Levi readied his gear and shot it to the grass a bit beyond the Titan. As he swung off of his horse, he zoomed by the Titan, delivering a satisfying slice to its left leg. It stumbled forwards only to rear back as Braun, one of the men in Keith's squad shot forwards, jabbing its right arm. It gave an ear-piercing screech and Levi forced himself to turn around and aim for nape of its neck. Before he could move, the Titan seized Braun from his disfigured right arm.

"No!" Keith shouted, jumping off of his horse and shooting up towards the Titan.

"Don't be foolish!" Levi shouted. "He'll get hold of you too!"

Braun struggled to get out of the Titan's grip, but it was of no avail. The Titan lifted him to its mouth and clamped his mouth shut. Levi pitched forwards, his head spinning as the unmistakable _crunch_ filled the air. Petra gave a strangled cry and Marx yelled, "Why didn't you save him?!" to no one in particular. The grotesque creature seemed satisfied and turned to go. Keith dropped down to the ground and began to chase after the Titan.

"Don't be a moron!" Levi snapped. "Let him go! If we lose you too, all hell will break loose! You're a retired commander."

"I haven't fully resigned yet!" He hollered back. "I won't have the likes of you ordering me about."

"Stop!" Marx hollered. "We can't lose another one on this mission!" He urged his horse to run and cut off Keith's route. Keith glared daggers at him.

"I am _your_ commander and I order you to get out of my way." He snapped.

"Have you lost it?!" Gunther called from his horse.

"Think reasonably." Levi said, exasperated.

"I…You're right." Keith's calm tone shocked everyone. "My head is not in the right place."

"H-his arm!" Petra suddenly stammered, looking down at the ground by her horse. "I-it's here!"

"What?" Oluo looked over in alarm.

"Is that all that's left of him?" Keith gave one last angry look at the fleeing Titan before jogging over to where Petra and Oluo were. Levi, Gunther, and Marx followed over on their horses. In the blood-stained grass, there lay the only remnant of Braun.

"Thank you, Petra." Keith said quietly. He reached over to his horse and unfastened the worn leather saddle. Underneath there was a ragged cloth, used to keep the saddle from rubbing the horse. He seized the cloth and bent down. Levi, unable to pull his gaze away, watched as he picked up Braun's arm and wrapped it neatly in the cloth.

"We should go back." Oluo said solemnly. There's nothing more we can do here."

"Shouldn't we help the others?" Marx asked.

"No," Levi shook his head. "Oluo is right. We can't afford to lose anyone else. We are heading back."

The beaten and worn soldiers made their way back to Wall Maria. Levi silently cursed. He would have to report their failure to Commander Erwin.

…

""You better not take my trust and destroy it, like everyone else has. Prevent that, and you have my word; I will make my team victorious." Commander Erwin quoted. "Is that not what you told me four months ago?"

"I know." Levi and the Special Operations Squad stood in Erwin's cramped office. Oluo and Petra looked down at their feet while Gunther glared out of one of the windows. The air felt stuffy and suffocating, and Levi had never wanted a shower more than he did at this moment. He smelled like grass and blood and his gear was caked in mud.

"What happened to that promise?" Erwin asked.

"I'm not here to be quizzed." Levi replied. "I'm here to say that it's clear. We need more recruits. The Survey Corps. numbers have dropped in this past year. We can't hold out for much longer."

"I am aware." Erwin said. "But no one in these Walls is willing to come forth."

"That's because they don't have any motive." Gunther spoke up. "The minute they lose someone precious to them, they'll have something worth fighting for."

"Yes, I'm sure we can all agree on that." Erwin's gaze didn't leave Levi. Levi stared coldly at Erwin. _Don't remind me, heartless tyrant_.

…

"Did he fulfil his duties?" Levi and the Special Operations Squad, along with Keith and Marx were safely inside the Walls, watching as the handlers began to remove the horse's saddles and bridles.

"Did he fulfil his duties?" The short blond-haired woman asked again, clutching the bundle protectively. She was staring up at Keith Shadis, her gaze mournful.

"Yes ma'am." He replied grimly. "He helped us a lot. But we did not succeed." The woman turned away with a sob. Keith turned away as well, and headed over to the other soldiers, his gaze unreadable.

"It must be hard." Petra said sympathetically as she walked off with Gunther. "He was her only son."

"There's been too much lost recently." He replied sadly.

Levi was not listening. His gaze was focused on two young people standing by one of the small shops, staring at the returning Survey Corps.

"What happened out there?" The shorter person asked in alarm. He was a thin boy with dark hair and piercing green eyes. "They're all bloodied and they look half-dead!"

"Don't be so rude, Eren!" The second person scolded. "It's obvious they've just been through a rough time." Levi's gaze shifted over to her. She was slightly taller than Eren, with jet black hair and pale skin.

 _What family is she from?_ He wondered. _She's obviously of Asian heritage, like me. Is she an Ackerman? I didn't think there were any Ackerman's left._

"Mikasa, do you think I'd have any chance at getting into the Survey Corps?" Eren asked.

Levi blinked. Mikasa? He'd heard that name somewhere. Pressing his fingers to his temples he closed his eyes, trying to remember where he'd heard that name.

"Not a chance!" Mikasa replied. "It's way too dangerous out there."

Levi opened his eyes. _That's right. My uncle, in the underground, he mentioned a Mikasa Ackerman. I wonder how we're related._ He looked at her through narrow eyes. _Not siblings. She looks nothing like me. Cousins, perhaps? No, she bears no resemblance to K._

"What are you doing?"

Levi jumped and whirled around. Petra had come back and stood, looking a bit terrified as he fixed a cold gaze on her.

"Sorry." He muttered. "That just startled me."

"We should get going." She replied. "All captains and commanders are going to have a meeting about our next approach. Hanji is getting irritated because none of us have brought back a Titan."

"Well they're not dogs you can just go out and coax with a treat." Oluo said as he approached from them where he'd been sitting.

"I know that!" Petra protested. "I'm just relaying what was said to me."

Levi cast one final look back to where Eren and Mikasa had been standing, but they were gone.

"Let's get going then." He said.


End file.
